Something About Boomerang Employees Is in the Air

Sabrina is the editor in chief for TINYpulse news. She's dipped her toes into various works of writing — from retail copywriter to magazine editor. Her work's been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg BNA, and Tech.co.

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“Boomerang employees” are people who’ve left a company to work somewhere else and have now returned. The Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated and WorkplaceTrends.com have recently completed a study of boomerangs and have discovered, among other things, that 40% of workers would consider returning to a former employer. And 15% already have. Why not? Maybe they left for some upward mobility that they’ve now achieved.

The study surveyed over 1,800 HR professionals, and among the top findings are these:

While nearly half of the HR people surveyed said their companies previously had policies discouraging returners, 76% said they have a more favorable view of the idea now.

Boomerangs now pose a serious threat to other job applicants. 85% of HR people say they’ve received applications from ex-employees, and 40% say they hired about half of them.

A boomerang’s familiarity with a company’s culture obviously make training and integration easier than it would be with someone new. (Some HR people do have concerns that boomerangs may return with a stigma for having left, or with old company baggage.)

It’s hard to know what one’s professional future holds. Here are U.S. News Money’s suggestions for some things you can do to boomerang successfully.

Leave on good, friendly terms: When you leave, don’t quit via text and give the company a full two-weeks’ notice. It’s also a good idea to send thank-you notes to your boss and coworkers.

Make sure your performance reviews shine: When you return, it’s likely your reviews will get a fresh look as the company considers bringing you back. At least make sure you’ve corrected any inaccuracies in recent reviews.

Stay in touch with friends at the company after you leave: Do what you can to remain part of the company’s “family.” Pay attention to things going on there via your friends’ social media updates.

Leverage your knowledge of the company’s mission when they ask why you want a new job: You already know what the company’s story is. Bonus points for letting them know you’ve stayed in the loop on current company events (which you can do via continuing friendships with coworkers).

Sabrina is the editor in chief for TINYpulse news. She's dipped her toes into various works of writing — from retail copywriter to magazine editor. Her work's been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg BNA, and Tech.co.